Apparatus for making concrete piles



Oct. 28, 1930. F. w. SCHWIERS. JR

APPARATUS FOR MAKING CONCRETE FILES Original Filed Feb. 26. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATT EY Oct. 28, 1930. F. w SC IHWIERS. JR 1,779,543

APPARATUS FOR MAKING CONCRETE FILES Original Filed Feb. 26, 1929 2 Sheets-Shut 2 ATT Y NEY Patented Oct. 28, 1930 UNITED STATES FREDERICK WILLIAM SCHWIERS, '13., OF NEW YORIQ N. Y.

APPARATUS FOR MAKING CONCRETE PIIiES Original application filed February 26, 1929, Serial No. 342,873. Divided and this application filed October 22, 1829.

This application is a division of my'copending application Ser. No. 342,873, filed February 26, 1929.

My invention relates to forming underground foundations without excavating,

other than that necessary for the piles.

My invention more particularly relates to an apparatus for forming concrete piles in sand, mud, clay, soft earth, or similar material.

My invention further relates to an apparatus for positively forming a concrete jpile, with a predetermined effective bearing area,

which bearing area will conform exactly with 5 the architects specifications, avoiding variations or discrepanciesfbetween the effective bearing area of the piles, as made on the job, and as requiredby the architects specifications. r v

My invention further relates to certain combinations, sub-combinations, articlesof manufacture, and details of construction, all of which will be more fully hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings I have shown one embodiment of my invention, but, of course, it isto be understood, that my invention is not to be confined to this particular embodiment shown by way of illustration.

In the accompanying drawings the same reference numerals refer to similar parts in the several figures.

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through a por tion of a foundation, and illustrating my im- 35 proved arcuatebulb excavator-in operation.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section, on an enlarged scale, on line'22 of Fig. 1.

igj3 is a horizontal'section online 33 of Fig.1.

40 Fig. 4 is a vertical detail section on line l -i (if-Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a plan view.

Fig. 6 is5a horizontal section, on an enlarged.

scale, onlilne of Fig.1. Fig. 7 is adetail view'of abulb pile.

Fig. 8 is :a detail view of a multiple bulb ile. p 9 is a detail ofamodi-fication.

Prior to my invention, it was old to useconmete piles in sand, mud, or other similar soil.

Serial N0. 401,511.

It was also old to increase the bearing area of the pile by providing it with an enlarged footing commonly called a mushroom, by exerting pressure on the concrete in the pile shaft, so that more or less of the concrete in the pile shaft would be forced laterally into the surrounding soil before setting. It is also old in the prior art, to use explosives in the pile shaft to force, the more or less liquid concrete, into the surrounding soil, to increase the area of the pile.

Others have attempted to increase the effec v tive area of the pile by enlarging the pile shaft, employing flowing water in the shaft to cave the sand at the end of the shaft.

. These methods all have inherentobjections of their own, and, in practice, they are all alike objectionable, in that, there can'be no assurance that the effective bearing area of the pile will correspond with'the architects specifications.

It will be clear that if the pile with its footing, pedestal, mushroom, or shelf, has not sufficient effective bearing area to carry its portion ofthe load of the building or other structure, that it will fail, allowing the structure which it assists in supporting, either to settle or, in extreme cases, fall with possible loss of life.

For the reason that there can be no positive assurance of what is the effective bearing area ofsuch a concrete pile, provided with a footing, pedestal, shelf or mushroom, it is common practice for the architects to insist that the pile shaft be carried down to a sufficient depth, so that when the concrete pile is formed, by concrete dumped into the pile shaft, the concrete pile will, itself, exclusive of any footing, pedestal, mushroom or shelf, have the required effective bearing area for the particular job.

This entails digging to an excessive depth,

with the consequent large additional cost of labor and material, as well as delay in the building operation.

By my invent-ion these objections are avoided, because the size and shape of the pile, with its bulb, giving it, its effective bearing area, will correspond exactly with the architects specifications. I 4

any approved design.

This permits of comparatively short piles to be used with economy in labor, and materials; and, also, permits the foundations to be ready for the building or other structure at an earlier date.

My apparatus does not require power machinery, being operated by hand and unskilled labor. Moreover, it can be used in close quarters, wherever a man can work, and in locations where it would not be feasible to employ power actuating machinery.

In the drawings I have shown one form of my apparatus for forming exact and predetermined concentric size bulbs on a. concrete pile, so that the effective bearing area of a concrete pile will exactly correspond with the architects specifications. This will permit shorter piles to be used, with the consequent saving of labor and material, and permit the foundations for the building structure to be finished in the minimum time.

The pile shaft 1 is dug in the soil 2 of sand, clay, soft dirt or similar material, in any suitable manner, as by a shaft excavator of The shaft may be lined with a shield (not shown) if the exigencies of the job require it.

After the pile shaft 1 has been dug to the depth required by the arehitects specifications, the excavator is withdrawn. My bulb excavator is then brought into operative position. As a matter of practice the depth 1s a little more than required by the architects specification.

The vertical shaft 3, preferably formed of different sections of pile secured together, is provided with a driving point 4, Figs. 1 and 4, which is driven into the bottom of the pile shaft, the fins 5, 5 preventing rotation of the driving point.

The driving point 4 and the shaft 3 are secured together, so as to permit rotation of the shaft. This may be done in any suitable manner, such as providing the driving point 4 with a hollow head 6 to receive the cap 7 screwed and also pinned on the end of the shaft by the pin 8. The collar 9 is then secured to the head 6 by the bolts 10, 10. I also preferably provide the driving point 4 i with one or more drain holes 11, 11 to permit free passa e of water from the hollow head 6.

The shaft 3 is provided with a plurality of holes 12, 12 with which cooperate a pin 13 which adj ustably holds a clutch collar 14, at the predetermined elevation desired on the shaft 3. This clutch collar 14 is provided with two teeth 15, (only one being shown in 1) which teeth cooperate with two slots 16, 1G in the toggle collar 17.

Pivoted to the toggle collar 17 are toggle levers 18, 18 which in turn are pivoted to the toggle levers 19, 19, as will be more fully hereinafter described. These toggle levers 19, 19 are pivoted to the toggle collar 20, which is adapted to be adjusted vertically on the shaft 3 by the adjusting rod 21, which is secured to the toggle collar 20, by means of a bolt 22, Fi 3. This adjusting rod 21 extends along the shaft 3 and is provided with a handle 23, to raise or lower it, to adjust the throw of the toggle levers 18 and 19. It is held in adjusted position by any suitable means, as by the pin 24 cooperating with the upper holes 12, 12 in the shaft 3.

The toggle levers 18, 18 and 19, 19 are pivoted together by the pivot pins 25, 25. On these same pivot pins 25, 25 are pivotally mounted knife levers 26, 26 one end of the levers being provided with cutting knives 27, 27 secured to them by any suitable means as by the rivets 28, 28. The other end 29 of each knife lever 27 is pivoted to an operating rod 30, the upper end of which is pivotally secured to the operating handle 31, 31. by the pivot pin 32, 32.

It is clear in the mechanism so far described, that by rocking the arms 31, 31 an arcuate vertical movement is imparted to the knives 27, 27 permitting them to cut, more or less, into the wall 33 of the pile shaft 1. The amount of each cut of the knives depends upon the adjustment of the toggles 18, 18 and 19, 19; and this toggle adjustment depends on the position of the adjustable toggle collar 20. lVhen this collar is raised vertically as far as permitted by the mechanism, the pivots of the toggle levers 18, 18 and 19, 19 are brought near the shaft 3, which will cause the knives 27, 27 to lie back against the shaft in an inoperative position, which will permit their insertion in the pile shaft 1.

After the bulb excavator is mounted in shaft 1, the adjusting rod 21 is moved down until the knives 27, 27 bite into the wall 33 of the pile shaft 1, when the rod 21 is secured to the shaft 3 by the adjusting pin 24. The hand levers 31, 31 pivoted on the shaft 3 by the pivot pin 48 are then moved vertically by the operator, causing the knives 27, 27 to cut an arcuate kerf in the soil beyond the surface 33 of the pile shaft 1. After the knives 27, 27 have completed one complete arcuate out, at one adjustment of the rod 21, the entire cutting mechanism, including the knives and the shaft 3 and the operating levers 31, 31, is given a partial rotation equal to the width of the knives 27, 27, see dotted lines 35, in Fig. 6, which represent one arcuate cut of the knives. This partial rotation of the cutting mechanism is continued, step by step, until the knives have made a complete cut, at the particular adjustment of the toggle levers. The adjusting rod 21, is then pushed down and secured by the pin 24 in another set of holes 12, 12, to permit the knives 27, 27 to still further out into the soil until the full bulb excavation, indicated by a dotted line 36, is completed. My bulb excavator can then be withdrawn and concrete poured into the pile shaft, forming a concrete pile 37, with a single bulb 38, Fig. 7.

Any suitable mechanism may be employed to hold the shaft 3 in proper alignment, and yet permit it, as well as the operating levers 31, 31 and rods 30, 30, to be rotated, step by step.

I have shown in Figs. 1 and a cheap and simple form of carriage 39, formed by two planks 40, 40 held in spaced relation to each other by the U-shape holding members 41, 41, which are secured in any suitable manner, as by nails 42, 42 to the planks. Rollers 43, 43 are mounted on each plank, and run on a circular track 44, formed by two semi-cylindrical angle irons 45, the angle irons being mounted on two cutaway beds 46, 46; the sections of the beds being secured together by the plates 47, 47. The shaft 3 is secured to v: the carriage 39 in any suitable manner, as by the pin 147 passing through the shaft 3 and the holding members 41, 41.

Any loose sand or dirt 49 that is cut by the knives will fall to the bottom of the pile shaft,

where it may be subsequently removed, in

any suitable manner; or if sand, it may be moistened, without removing it from the shaft, and tamped prior to pouring the concrete, all depending upon the specifications of the job.

If the water level in the sand or soil is above the pile shaft, well points are inserted in the foundation and the water level lowered below the pile shaft, so that the pile shaft 5" will be kept relatively dry during the entire operation. It is important that in a sandy foundation that the sand be damp to insure the shape of the bulb excavation and to prevent any sand crumbling or falling to break the arch formed by the knives.

If the soil is dry sand or similar material, water should be poured into the pile shaft to insure that the sand will be damp to obtain the best results. In soil such as heavy mud,

-;; clay and similar material, the use of water is not required, as these soils will stand up of their own accord. lVhile my bulb excavator is adapted for use in all soils, I obtained the best results when it is used as above described.

In some cases I may employ a metal casing or form below the excavation for the bulb, to prevent the sand or soil caving in at that point of the pile shaft. 7

To make a multiple bulb concrete pile 50, such as, for example, shown in Fig. 8, it is simply necessary to adjust the clutch collar 14 at the correct location on the shaft 3, for each bulb 38 to be formed, it,'of course, being understood that more than two bulbs may be formed upon a single concrete pile.

lVith a multiple bulb pile, the pile can be much shorter, or made smaller for a given load, or the pile can be used to carry a much greater load.

I have found in practice that a multiple bulb pile twenty-two feet-in length, formed in accordance with .my dnyention, has, the same .elfectivebearing area asthat of a straight pile thirty-two .feet in ,depth,.and. the same cross- .section.

I I have shown Fig. anoth-eriadvantage .0 using my multiplepile. In case itis desired to later add to theload on the piles, as for example, by increasing the height of the building, or adapting the foundation to hold heavy machinery, with a pile such as 50,.Fig.

9, it is merely necessary to dig down, preferably below the frost line 51 and below the upper bulb 38, and place a spread footing 5 of concrete,below the upper bulb.

This spread footing 52, therefore, obtains a grip or hold on the pile 50 which would be impossible with a plain cylindrical pile. It is, therefore, clearthat by my invention the load on the piles can be increased, with little additional expense, and with no expensive equipment, and by the use of unskilled labor.

' Having thus described this invention in connection with an illustrative embodiment thereof, to the details of which I do not desire to be limited, what is claimed is new and what it is desired to secure by Letters Patent is set forth in theappended claims.

I/Vhat I claimis 1. An apparatus for excavating in a pile shaft, including a vertical rotatable shaft, toggle levers mounted on the shaft, means to mount the toggle levers at different elevations along the rotatable shaft, one or more vertically operative knives mounted on the toggle levers, and means to move the knives in a vertical plane.

2. An apparatus for excavating in a pile shaft, including a vertical rotatable shaft, toggle levers mounted on the rotatable shaft, means to adjust the radial throw of the toggle levers, means to mount the toggle levers at different elevations along the rotatable shaft, one or more vertically operative knives mounted on the toggle levers, and means to move the knives in a vertical plane.

3. An apparatus for excavating in a pile shaft, including a vertical rotatable shaft, toggle levers mounted on the shaft, means to mount the toggle levers at different elevations along the rotatable shaft, one or more vertically operative knives mounted on the toggle levers, means to move the knives in a vertical plane, and means to rotate the vertical shaft.

4. An apparatus for excavating in a pile shaft, including a vertical rotatable shaft, toggle levers mounted on the shaft, means to mount the toggle levers at different elevations along the rotatable shaft, one or more vertically operative knives mounted on the toggle levers, and a carriage adapted to rotate the vertical shaft.

5. An apparatus for excavating in a pile shaft, including a vertical rotatable shaft, a 

